Individuals who are bed bound or confined to a wheel chair for long periods of time are at risk for developing decubitus ulcers, commonly referred to as bed sores or pressure sores. The ulcers typically appear and develop at the location of a bony prominence on a patient's body and the immediate area of such bony prominence, especially at or around the buttocks, coccyx, spine, hips, elbows and heels. Such ulcers are caused by direct contact pressure by an object (such as furniture, e.g., a bed; wheel chair; etc.) with the bony prominence and its immediate area. The ulcers are areas of damaged skin and tissue that develop when sustained pressure cuts off circulation to these vulnerable parts of the body. Without adequate blood flow, the affected tissue dies.
Decubitus ulcers can range from a very mild pink coloration of the skin, which disappears in a few hours after pressure is relieved on the area, to a very deep wound extending to and sometimes through a bone into internal organs. These ulcers are classified in stages according to severity.
The ulcers can develop quickly and progress rapidly. For example, in unconscious patients or those who have had injury to the spinal cord, a large pressure sore can develop as soon as twelve hours after onset of a disability or the injury. The ulcers are often difficult to heal. Once developed, they can lead to infection and seriously impact the health of the patient.
The sacral area of the back is most prone to such ulcers due to the proximity of the bones to the skin's surface and the amount of weight bearing on this area. An ulcer on the sacral area may even develop from a patient's position on the operating table during an extended operation. Manually shifting the position of the patient during surgery can be disruptive to the ongoing procedure.
Since the ulcers are difficult to treat, it is important that attention is given to prevent them from forming. The classic procedure for prevention is for a caregiver to rotate a patient every two hours so that pressure can be relieved and no single area of the body is under prolonged periods of pressure. While effective, this procedure requires a significant amount of staffing and strict adherence to schedules for the procedure to be effective.
Various systems exist, such as elaborate hospital beds, for alleviating areas of pressure exerted on a bed bound individual. However, such beds are expensive and impractical for large institutions treating many such individuals.
Accordingly it would be desirable to provide an economical device for changing the position of an individual to alleviate areas of localized pressure.